1/8/2024 0 Comments Free Sonoma“Repeated racism and discrimination deeply damages the physical and mental health of the Black community,” said Alegría De La Cruz, director of the county’s Office of Equity. The stress and trauma of these repeated tragedies can lead to anxiety, depression and other physical and emotional challenges. “We hope this program will not only improve the mental well-being of our Black community but will also be followed by many more investments in Black futures in Sonoma County.”Ī series of highly-publicized police killings of Black people across the United States have adversely affected the mental health of many Black Americans, studies have found. “The legacy of slavery, racial terror, discrimination and bias, and all of the interlocking systems have impacted Black communities for generations,” said D'mitra Smith, program manager of the Sonoma County Black Therapy Fund. In Sonoma County, Black people, on average, die 10 years earlier than white people, the Portrait of Sonoma 2021 Update shows. For example, Black people were 2.1 times more likely to be hospitalized and 1.6 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than their white counterparts. Studies have found COVID-19 took a disproportionate toll on Black Americans, in part because of the concentration of Black people working in essential service jobs without benefits such as sick leave. Directing ARPA funds to expand mental health services is just one way we can support the health and well-being of our residents.” “The Black community has suffered disproportionately during the pandemic and from the stress of current and repeated instances of institutional violence. “We need to better serve the members of our Black community,” said Supervisor Chris Coursey, chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. It is one of 27 community-based programs allocated funding by the Board last May through the American Rescue Plan Act, which prioritized local programs intended to help those most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly low-income communities and communities of color. The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors provided $574,200 to launch the initiative, designed to help address the mental health toll on the county’s Black community and a shortage of local Black therapists. The program is managed by the Sonoma County Black Forum in partnership with the NAACP Santa Rosa-Sonoma County Branch. The fund will provide more than 230 Sonoma County residents with up to 12 free video counseling sessions with culturally competent therapists. The Black Therapy Fund, a new partnership between the County of Sonoma and two community groups to improve mental health services for Black residents of all ages, is now accepting applications for free mental health counseling.
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